Before you zero in on any particular destination wedding location, you’ll want to determine what it is that you want. Its probably a good idea to sit down with your fiancé and write up a “Wish List” of things that you want from your weddings destination. Here are some suggestions:

1. A warm climate where you can swim.

2. A beautiful locale where your photography will be outstanding.

3. A location (preferably on an island) where you can enjoy a tropical wedding adventure. You probably want a locale that will have lots of activities that you two can enjoy.

4. A location that is not too expensive to reach for both you and your guests (if you are having any).

5. A safe environment in a country that is friendly to your nationality.

6. A weddings destination where you can easily get a legal marriage which will be honored in your own country.

The Best Time of the Year

How important is the climate of your venue? Beautiful pictures of a wedding venue don’t always tell the real story. Be sure to check out what the climate is like year-round. Some areas get very cold at night. Many locations have oppressive humidity at certain times of the year. If you end up standing on a beach when you are hot and sticky under a sweltering sun, you might wish you chosen a beach with less humidity.

How important is it that you have good weather? Will your wedding be indoors or outdoors? If you are planning an outdoor wedding in paradise (where most destination weddings are located) you’ll more than likely want to zero in on areas that are known for good weather.

What time of year will you be having your wedding? If you are going to have you wedding in the summer, will the weather in your location be too hot? If you are going to have it in the winter, will your proposed location be too cold? If you live in the northern hemisphere (like Europe or the United States) and are planning to travel to the southern Hemisphere (like Australia), that your winter is their summer and vice versa.

What are the chances of storms? Some very beautiful locations encounter storms on a regular basis during certain seasons. For example, if you are thinking of traveling to the Caribbean (to Aruba for example) you will want to consider if how close your date will be to their storm season. As you may well know, there are typically five or more killer storms each year that blow through the Caribbean.

Any time you are scheduling an outside weddings destination venue, weather is a major issue that must be taken into account. This is even more true if you are planning a larger wedding with guests coming a long way your destination wedding location. Keep in mind that in many areas of the world, storms can build up quickly. If you and your group have air reservations, accommodations and lots of detailed planning for your wedding — and a major storm is headed towards your island paradise — you might just end up in a destination wedding nightmare. So choose your destination wedding location knowing when will be the best probability of good weather.

More to follow in the next post . . .

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The Ease of Getting Married

If you are traveling to another country, there will be even more things to consider. You and your darling (and your wedding party) will probably all need passports. How easy will it be to have your wedding recognized in your home country? Some countries are simply more difficult in this area, and it is wise to know this in advance.

I should tell you that to counteract this potential issue, many couples will have a legal private wedding at home, and then have their photogenic wedding at their destination wedding.

Choose A Location With Fun Things to Do

Your wedding will be the highlight of your trip. But you should also seriously consider how much fun your destination wedding location will be for your honeymoon. Unless you are planning to fly off to “another paradise” after the wedding is over, you’ll want to select a spot where there are lots of fun things to do and see. Any guests you have will be more than likely to show up if you choose a locale that they would also like to visit.

Choose A Location Which Is Safe

There are many beautiful places in the world that are not very safe. If you look only a photographs of beautiful beaches, you may miss the fact that the surrounding island is in a world of poverty and the crime rate is high. Take a close look at online information on websites that give tourist warnings.

If you are planning a trip to any third world country it is essential that you check the area for personal security warnings. Locations like Mexico, Caribbean islands like Jamaica, islands in the Pacific Rim might all have security warnings. Even if you are not an American is is wise to check out the U.S. Department of State Travel Alert. They issue travel warning, travel alerts and give specific information for every country in the world.

How Difficult Will An Emergency Be?

Of course, you hope that there will be no emergencies in your trip. But if there is, how will you be able to cope with it? For example, if you are injured in an auto accident or on an activity, how comfortable are you with the idea of getting medical help in this country? If you needed a medical evacuation, how easy would this be to do in the country you are considering?

If you are robbed, how expensive or difficult will it be to get your valuables reimbursed? If you have to cancel your flight at the last minute (before you even leave), can you purchase travel insurance that will pay for the cost of that cancellation? Of course, there are trip insurance policies, but they do not work the same in different areas of the world. No matter where you decide to have your destination wedding, you definitely want to make sure that you are insured against some unforeseen emergency.

How Expensive Will Your Wedding Be?

There are many things to consider when you count the cost of your destination wedding. How much will airfare and accommodations set you back. Make sure that you also know the cost of a rental car and the price of the kind of activities you want to enjoy on your honeymoon. Are their any package deals going to your proposed location. Often you can get better prices if you book your air, accommodations and rental vehicle altogether (in a “tour package”).

And of course, what will it cost you to contract with an experienced destination wedding planner? Even if it will be just the two of you at your ceremony, you will still want to consider what options and prices you have available in their different destination wedding packages.

If it is just the two of you who are traveling to your destination wedding location, your Certain countries are well-known for offering great bargains. Mexico is a classic example of that. But if you are traveling to a high volume area (such as Cancun) you might find that the demand for the area causes your wedding price to escalate beyond what you might normally pay in another city in a third world country.

For more information on selecting your weddings destination, take a look at our main website pages.

Technorati Tags: destination wedding, destination wedding locations, Weddings destination

You are about to embark on the wedding of a lifetime. And because it will be at some exotic wedding destination, you will inevitably need to be involved with a lot of planning in order to make certain that you have the wedding of your dreams and not a destination wedding nightmare.

Destination wedding planning is a very important, especially if you are going to have a large affair. If you are not the kind of person who likes to do things in advance, or if you are the kind of person who prefers just to “wing it,” You might not want to do much of the planning for your destination wedding. Here’s a little snapshot of . . .

What Needs to Be Done

The bigger your wedding, the more you will need to take care of. Of course there are all of the obvious things like obtaining passports, visas, the wedding license in the wedding destination country, the flights, the accommodations, and booking some fun activities . .

For the wedding itself, you have to select the exact venue. Will it be on a public or private beach? Will it be on a private lawn overlooking the beach? Will you select a church, chapel, garden or a water fall location? Will there be site fees? Will your guests need directions to get to the site? Will you be able to provide transportation to the site.

Will you have chairs for your guests? Flowers for yourself and a runner down the isle? Will you be having a reception where you’ll need a DJ, tables, and catering. Will you have music and entertainment at the wedding and also at the reception (if you have one)?

Will you hire a destination wedding photographer? Unless you absolutely don’t care what your pictures look like — for your own sanity — you want to hire a pro. Even if you have a “good” photographer among your friends, the chances are very good he will simply NOT get the images you were hoping for.

Will you hire a wedding videographer? And if so, will he shoot digital or in high definition? A truly professional videographer will be able to capture some of your best wedding memories for a lifetime worth of enjoyment.

Who will officiate at your ceremony? Have you know anything about this minister? Are his ceremonies online so that you can read them? Is he a “legal” minister in his country? Do you want a “true minister” who is similar to what you have at a home? Do you want to bring your own minister (which I’ve seen many times), and if so, will it be legal?

Who are you going to invite to your wedding? Even more important how many of your family and friends do you think will actually be able to attend your wedding? Will you help your guests book their travel and accommodations, or will they have to fend for themselves? If they fend for themselves, what is the likelihood that they will have a difficult time getting to your wedding site on time. Trust me, waiting for some important guess to arrive (like the mother of the groom) can ruin a perfect wedding).

Even if its just the two of you (or a few close friends and family) at your wedding there is a lot to think about and do to make your wedding a success. And you want this destination wedding to be dream come true not a destination wedding disaster. This is why, even for small weddings, I highly recommend the you hire a destination wedding planner.

More about wedding planners in my next post . . .

Or just take a look at our main website: Weddings Destination

Technorati Tags: destination wedding nightmare, destination wedding planning, Weddings destination

Do you really want to spend your wedding day stressing out over what you might have forgotten to do? The bigger the wedding, the more you need a wedding planner. The more you want to enjoy this first step into your new life, the more you are wise to turn over some of the responsibilities to a professional.

If a destination wedding planner is truly a professional with a little bit of seasoning and experience under her belt, she is worth her weight in gold. Trust me on this. A good wedding planner will take so much stress out of your destination wedding planning so that you can concentrate on each other. And on the day of your wedding things are much more likely to go as planned.

When you leave your home and travel to an exotic locale for your dream wedding, you’ll need to put a lot of effort in to pulling all of the details together. Being in a long way from home it is so much easier (and safer) to have your destination wedding planning done by a planner. She will arrange all of the services (like photography, flowers, minister and music) so that you can experience a dream wedding, and not a nightmare.

Most important of all, you want to concentrate on your beloved. While the ceremony and the wedding planning are important, falling more in love with each other is what you want most to accomplish in your dream destination wedding. So most couples usually find that choosing an experienced destination wedding planner is the best solution.

What to Look For in a Destination Wedding Planner

Look for a wedding planner to who is:

1. Honest. If you are dealing with a planner who is in another country from where you are located, it is very important to be sensitive to any signs that she is not honest. She there some kind of consumer group with whom the company has a reputation (either good or bad)? Do a little checking before you plunk down the deposit for your wedding.

2. Personable. Not everyone is easy to get along with. Some planners just seem to have bristles. If you have problems with her during the booking and off-site planning, you can count on having problems later at the wedding.

3. Affordable. Some planner charge a high amount, but with that price does not necessarily come better service. Make certain that her company will give you good value for your money.

4. Available. You want your destination wedding planner to have room on her schedule. But you also want her to be available to contact you in a dependable way. Does she get back to you through email? Does she return phone calls (if it isn’t overseas)? Is she available to answer your questions and meet your needs.

If you would like to find a great destination wedding planner, let me recommend Susan Souter. She has been coordinating tropical island weddings for over eleven years in Maui, Hawaii. You can take a look at her Maui Weddings website. The home page is long, and it will give you a great idea what services she offers.

Technorati Tags: destination wedding planners, destination wedding planning, Weddings destination

Most professional destination wedding planners will offer wedding packages. The reason for this is that it helps them save time and money preparing your wedding. If the wedding coordination service has four packages, they know what to expect when a couple selects “package number two.” It takes them less time to plan your wedding, and they can therefore pass their savings along to you.

So when you search for and choose a wedding planner, make certain that she has destination wedding packages which appeal to you.

How to Choose A Destination Wedding Package

When you are considering a wedding planner, take a look over her packages to see what’s included in each. Inevitably some vendors will include “bare bones” destination wedding packages. These usually leave out something that you will want (like the services of a photographer), or the cost of renting the wedding site.

Make absolutely certain what each wedding package actually contains. If there is something important missing, you want to know what extra cost you will incur in order to obtain it. Beware of companies who like to hide things. I personally ever hate to hear those words, “Oh, that’s not included in your package.” Some companies prefer to use their package prices as “come ons.” But that’s not what you’ll end up actually paying in the end.

Compare packages to see what you are not getting that you might want in a higher package. Total up what you think you will be paying before you ask the vendor for a quote. In this way you can tell if there are some things missing, that you’ll have to pay later.

Some couples want to be barefoot on the beach; while others prefer to stand on grass overlooking the ocean. You definitely will want to know if the wedding venue is included in the package, or will there be additional fees? In many cases, the venue is not included in the package.

Maui Wedding Packages

Let me suggest that you take a look at some Maui Wedding Packages which will give you an idea just how reasonable a wedding can be in a place like Hawaii. These are found on the Maui Me website (as in “will you Maui me?”).

To read more about Weddings Destinations please take a look at our main site.

Technorati Tags: destination wedding packages, maui wedding packages, Weddings destination

You will find that there are so many different services that are available in different parts of the world. You can get many different wedding services. Just because you don’t see something on your wedding provider’s website or brochure doesn’t mean that it isn’t available. If you have your heart set on something be sure and ask if it is available.

Some companies offer dove and butterfly releases. Some offer a wide variety of local ministers to choose from. Some offer to telecast your wedding live on the Internet while you are getting married. Most offer professional photography and many offer the services of one or more videographers.

I think one of your most important considerations will be to choose one of the destination wedding photographer available. You’ll want to enjoy the photographic images he captures for years to come, so make certain that you choose a photographer whose work is online (so you can preview it). You will want to know that he is experienced and that he has a nice creative touch.

When it comes to receptions the sky is the limit with many companies. We offer everything from hula dancers, fire – knife dancers, a wide variety of musicians, all sorts of menus, dance bands, DJs, special lighting, tents, etc. Depending upon what you want, it is probably available with the larger companies.

What Wedding Services Are Important to You?

Everyone has a different agenda as to what is important. To some it is that they will be able to have all of the traditional fixings, like a white wedding gown, a white cake at the site, etc. Write down a list of the things that you want, like: photography, music, flowers,  videography . . . Then look at what’s available in the company’s packages versus what you feel is a “must have” for you.

The rule of thumb is choose the largest destination wedding package that has everything you want in it, and then add any additional services ala carte. Once you’ve found the package that has most of the wedding services you want, you’ll want to ask your coordinator what the cost is of any ala carte additions. Most companies will allow their couples to add in extra services.

How to Book Your Package

Before you book your package, there are several things that you must do. You must know the date you are coming. You must be sure that you can get your flights and accommodations. If you are traveling at a high destination season (like Christmas), you might find that your travel and hotel are harder to come by.

If you are bringing guests, make certain that they are also available for your wedding date, and that they can get away. This is especially important for parents or people who might be in your wedding party.

Once you are sure that your date and your schedule works with both the wedding company and the availability of travel services for your family and friends, you are ready to book your destination wedding planner.

If you are dealing with a destination wedding provider in a foreign country, be sure and pay by credit card. Most credit card providers will allow you to chargeback the purchase if you figure out that the company is not going to provide you with the services that you require.

I would NOT recommend that you pay your balance in full to a foreign vendor in the beginning. Only make a deposit on your wedding, so that you will have time corresponding with the company to make absolutely certain that they are what they appear to be.

Affordable Maui Weddings

If you are looking for an affordable wedding, you might want to take a look at our own Maui weddings services. This page will take your right to the Maui wedding packages page.

For more information and articles on Weddings Destination please check out our main website.

Technorati Tags: destination wedding packages, destination wedding photographers, maui wedding packages, maui weddings, Weddings destination

One of your most important considerations will be to choose a quality destination wedding photographer. You’ll want to enjoy the photographic images he captures for years to come, so make certain that you choose a photographer whose work is online (so you can preview it). You will want to know that he is experienced and that he has a nice creative touch.

A good wedding photography will be familiar with your destination wedding location. Hopefully, he will have shot many weddings at this location before so that you can see his images and imagine what your wedding will look like in that same locale. For best value, you will also want a photographer who offers photography packages to keep your costs down.

Follow the link above to the page on our new Weddings destination website that will give you more information on how to choose a photographer for your destination wedding photography.

Destination Wedding Dresses

For many brides, a real concern with their weddings destination ceremony is the availability of the right dress for the location. Many brides wonder if they should dress as formally in an exotic locale as they might in a church wedding at home.

From personal experience, I would suggest that the traditional white wedding dress ALWAYS looks good in a tropical setting. Whether you are going to be married on the grass overlooking the ocean, or right on the sand at the edge of the water, a beautiful wedding dress (with train if you can) will make for the best photographic images at your wedding.

Technorati Tags: destination wedding dresses, destination wedding photographers, destination weddings, Weddings destination

Not only is getting married in an exotic location an exciting experience, but when the wedding is finally over . . . you’ll be in an unique and tropical location perfect for your dream honeymoon. What could be better than a dream wedding — at an affordable price — followed by the perfect honeymoon!!

Destination Wedding Locations

But there are so many exotic weddings destination locations in our large world. How do you find the one which is just right for your paradise dream wedding? You’ll want to take a look at factors like cost, availability and VALUE to figure out what is just the right wedding location for your upcoming nuptials.

With so many choices, you’ll want to be careful to choose a venue which spot meets your criteria. On this website we’ve given you some help in making your decision. Unless you’re “made of money”, the size of your wedding will probably have a lot to do with your choice of your destination wedding location.

And if you are going to have a larger wedding with many guests, that will certainly impact where you can have it. Of course, you don’t want the destination of your wedding to be so expensive that it limits which of your guests can attend. Follow our links to help you find just the right weddings destination.

Destination Wedding Planning

When you are leaving your home to travel to an exotic locale for your dream wedding, you’ll need to put a lot of effort in to pulling all of the details together. Some couples decide to do all of the planning themselves. We don’t recommend that.

Being in a long way from home means it won’t be easy to order and arrange all of the services (like photography, flowers, minister and music) which you could do more easily if you were at home. You want to experience a dream wedding, not a nightmare.

And most important of all, you want to concentrate on your beloved. While the ceremony and the wedding planning are important, falling more in love with each other is what you want most to accomplish in your dream destination wedding. So most couples usually find that choosing an experienced destination wedding planner is the best solution.

Destination Wedding Packages

One of the best way to save money at weddings destination events is to find a package. While we all know that this is often true with travel and accommodations, it is equally true with the details of your destination wedding package. You can almost always save money this way. Most vendors know that if they place their services into different size wedding packages, they can save themselves time and energy by guiding their clients in what to choose . . . and this will certainly also save you money.

So when you search for and choose a wedding planner, make certain that she has destination wedding packages from which you can choose.

Check out our main website at: Weddings Destination

Technorati Tags: destination wedding locations, destination wedding packages, destination wedding planning, Weddings destination